Article 7 in the series
Last week, we looked at how our bishops have addressed some of the tough questions surrounding immigration, and we’ll continue that this week. Please keep all immigrants and refugees in your prayers and contact Andrew Musgrave at musgravea@archmil.org or 414-271-6577 with any questions.
There are several tough questions surrounding the issue of immigration, several of which have been raised in previous articles. To conclude the series, we’ll look at how Bishop John Wester and the US Bishops Migration Committee respond to these questions.
– Are the bishops advocating for open borders or amnesty? No, the USCCB does not advocate for either of these changes, but they do support generous, reasonable policies that support the common good. They aren’t looking to grant a benefit without doing anything in return (amnesty) or simply letting anyone and everyone in. (See last week’s article for their proposal.)
– Aren’t immigrants putting a strain on an already overburdened system? While it is true that immigrants (at an early age) consume more than they contribute (just like everyone else), it’s been proven that over their lifetime they are net contributors to our economy through taxes paid, the goods produced and their labor. Additionally, legal immigrants don’t qualify for welfare or healthcare for the first five years they’re here, and undocumented immigrants never do. In truth, undocumented immigrants contribute at least $7 billion in Social Security taxes which supports Social Security for the baby-boomer generation. By registering and becoming documented, they’d contribute even more.
